The most common method of protesting is arguably the mass creation of signs. Large or small, elaborate or make-shift, signs can currently be seen all around the US as a symbol of solidarity amongst the masses. With the displeasing results of the election, even the most unconventional and unexpected groups of people have taken to express their grief on the occurrence. In Buffalo, NY, this church sign was spotted the Sunday after the election, and has gathered over 300 retweets on the web due to the nature of its content. A church, a place of comfort, solidarity, and more notably guidance, has expressed almost a hopeless like statement.
“What do we do now?”
People come to church with all different kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and sentiments all with the end goal of potential enlightenment, but what occurs when the enlightened are also placed in the position of fear? When your spiritual sanctuary is also threatened and shattered by something that feels so much bigger and out of control than the community itself. Though I am not the religious kind, I can’t help but acknowledge and feel for these people. How heart wrenching is it to arrive to your church and be greeted by this message? I can’t help but also acknowledge that while upon first impression the sign felt abysmal, as I began to think more in depth about it, there is always the chance that the sign could be encouraging the idea of regrouping and strategizing together, rather than letting the negativity thrive. In a time where everything feels to be going to the complete shambles, the fact that there is a support system out there for everyone is crucial. In this time, we need to regroup, and reconfigure, and to have places like this as a safe place for a select community is a reflection and a small insight into the probably mass amounts of similar things going on in the country. And in that concept, I find blissful comfort.
